Thirst: Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water

Out of sight of most Americans, global corporations like
Nestlé, Suez, and Veolia are rapidly buying up our local water
sources—lakes, streams, and springs—and taking control
of public water services. In their drive to privatize and commodify
water, they have manipulated and bought politicians, clinched
backroom deals, and subverted the democratic process by trying to
deny citizens a voice in fundamental decisions about their most
essential public resource.

The authors' PBS documentary Thirst showed how
communities around the world are resisting the privatization and
commodification of water. Thirst, the book,
picks up where the documentary left off, revealing the emergence of
controversial new water wars in the United States and showing how
communities here are fighting this battle, often against companies
headquartered overseas.

Read a
review...http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/18/RVGS9OHPKT1.DTL

Is water a human right or a commodity to be marketed for profit?
Should water be run by local governments or by distant
corporations? Why do we pay more for bottled water than for
gasoline?

These are some of the tough-minded questions Alan Snitow and
Deborah Kaufman first asked in their provocative and memorable 2004
documentary, also titled "Thirst."

In their new book, the authors investigate how the growing
"water business" is trying to privatize water systems in cities
scattered across the United States.

More often than not, local citizens don't even know their water
is being sold. But when people do know what's happening, they form
powerful coalitions, fueled by indignation and outrage. In the
process, citizens rediscover some of the basic principles of
democracy, namely, that they should have a voice in their
government.

This is the cautionary tale the authors tell through their vivid
descriptions of eight conflicts over water -- from Stockton to
Atlanta, Ga.

Should we worry about these new water wars? Yes. Water is not
only a limited resource; it is also necessary for biological
survival.

"The current conflict between corporations and citizens
movements to control this precious resource," they write, "will be
decided in the years to come. The outcome of the conflict will
surely be a measure of our democracy in the 21st Century."

They're right. See their film. Read this important book. Then
decide if you agree that public control of water is essential for
our health and the health of our democracy. (San Francisco
Chronicle, Excerpts of a review by Ruth Rosen)

"As a congressman from the Great Lakes region, I appreciate this
timely and important work on a critical public policy question: Is
water a natural resource to be protected by the public realm, or is
it just another commodity?"
—Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Ohio

"A riveting and engaging account of one of the most important
environmental issues of our time: Will corporations or citizens
control our water?"
—Carl Pope, executive director, Sierra Club

"A smart, gripping narrative of the way 'big money' is cornering
the market for life's basic ingredient. It will shock you—and
it should!"
—Jeff Faux, founder of the Economic Policy Institute, and
author, The Global Class War

"The fight for the right to water has hit the U.S. heartland and
this passionate, information-packed book tells the story of
ordinary Americans engaged in extraordinary struggles to save their
water heritage for future generations. Every American should read
it."
—Maude Barlow, chair of Council of Canadians, and author,
Blue Gold

"Who really owns your water? It may not be who you think. Read
this provocative and insightful book and find out about the
politics and economics of growing attempts to privatize our most
vital public resource—the stuff that comes out of your
tap."
—Peter Gleick, president, Pacific Institute for Development,
Environment and Security

"A terrific read—startling and motivating. Thirst
helps us see that the fight for the right to water is in fact a
struggle for democracy itself. Read Thirst and dive into the
twenty-first century's core challenge: Do we save ourselves by the
market's logic, or as citizens do we deepen democracy's
logic?"
—Frances Moore Lappé, author, Democracy's Edge:
Choosing to Save Our Country by Bringing Democracy to Life

Thirst the MovieLearn more about the book that is based on the ground-breaking documentary film. View excerpts and reviews, order the film, and find resources on how to fight the corporate theft of water.

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